Line-spacing mechanism for type-writing machines.



No. 776.851. PATENTED DEC. 6, 1904.

G. M. KITZMILLER.

LINE SPAGING MECHANISM FOR TYPE WRITING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 4, 1904.

N0 MODEL.

u g3 17 a FL. 9

2 gg gf "I" 1/ 4 a7 N9 6 IIIIIIII ml mm NW8 3 F538 18 W 19 Fzg9 g 20 ammntoz s1 J /6 W.

NITED STATES Patented December 6, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

TRIC TYPEVVRITER COMPANY OF N ORFOLK, INCORPORATED.

LlNE-SPACING MECHANISM FOR TYPE- WFHTING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 776,851, dated December 6, 1904,

Application filed May 4, 1904:.

To all, whom it 'mcty concern:

Beit known that I, Gnonen M. Kirznrnnnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Norfolk, in the county of Norfolk and State of Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Line-Spacing Mechanism for .l.ype- Writing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to line-spacing mechanism for type-writing machines, and has for its object the regulation of the distance between the lines, so that the lines may be close together or farther apart, as desired.

My invention also hasfor its object automatically changing the line-space.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the platen, platen-ratchet or spacing wheel, and the operating mechanism. Fig. 2 is a plan of the operating devices, the platen and platen ratchet wheel being removed. bell-erank lever shown at the right in Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is a plan of the buffer or cheek-roller. Fig. 5 is an elevation of the line-space latchblock or regulator. Fig. 6 is an end view of the same. Fig. 7 is a plan of .the notched ratchet-pawl or detent. Fig. 8 is a rear end elevation of the same. Fig. 9 is an enlarged elevation of the jointed detent-arm or wedgeblock.

In the drawings like numbers indicate eorresponding parts in all the views.

1 is the platen, (shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1.)

2 is the platen-actuating ratchet-wheel.

3 is the platen shaft or axis.

4 is the platerr support or end piece.

5 is a spring or tongue for the retardingbuffer or check-roller 6 and is supported by a lug 7 on the carriage 17 of the machine by the screw or pin 8. The roller 6 prevents a too free movement of the ratchet and platen 1, yet easilyturned by hand in either direction.

10 is the line-spaee-operating bar or rod, having a curved part 10 for use as a handle for hand operation of the rod or bar.

11 represents notches in the rod 10 for engagement with the latch 13, the said latchbe- Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan of the Serial No. 206,328. (No model.)

' ing pivoted at to the latclrblock 12. The latch-block 12 is movable on the pull-rod or handle-bar 10 and is for the purpose hereinafter described, 14 being a spring for holding the latch in the slot when the machine is in operation.

16 is a stop on the carriage 17 for limiting the movement of the latch-block 12.

18 is a detent or pawl arm pivoted at 19 on the line-space bar or rod 10.

31 is a thumb-nut for releasing the latch 13 from the notches 11 when it is desired to change the distance between the writing-lines.

The arm 18 is provided with an inclined or angular die 20 of suitable length, so that it may travel in a raised horizontal line. When the rod or bar-1O ispulled outward or toward the left, Fig. 1, the lug 23 on the carriage 17 causes the angular part of the block 20 to be lifted.

21 is a spring-actuated notched. detent or pawl on the end of the arm 18, fastened in the aperture 38, Fig. 9, and comes in contact with the teeth of the ratchet 9. when the arm 18 is lifted by the angular die 20, thus moving the ratchet 2 and platen 1 to the desired distance for spacing. The detent or pawl 21 is kept in its normal position by 1 means of the spring 29. in the notch 35, Fig. 7 and causes the lug 36 to press against the arm 18 and keeps it at its proper angle. The detent is pivoted to the arm 18 by a pin in the aperture 38, Fig. 7.

2 1 is a lug on the line-space bar or handle-rod 10, which engages with the spring 25 and holds the sliding bar 10 when pushed toward the rear of the machine, during which operation the lug or arm 4.1, Fig. 1, engages the spring 5 and disengages the roller 6 from the teeth of the ratchet-wheel 2 in order that the platen may freely rotate in either direction. The spring 25, being now in engagement with the lug 2 1, maintainsthe pull-rod and roller 6 in this position until the pull-rod is drawn to its normal position.

26 is a lug on the carriage 17 for supporting the spring 25.

27 is a bell-crank with arms at rightangles to each other and is pivoted at 30 on the lug or block 28 and has a slot 33 on one of its arms and is pivoted in the slot, as at 32, to the pull-rod 10, which admits of the pull-rod 10 being operated by hand or automatically when the carriage is returned for the commencement of a new writing-line.

34 is an aperture for the pin 29, shown in place in another aperture. The pin 29 may be placed in either of the holes or apertures, according to how soon or late the contact is to be made, and causes one of the bell-crank arms to strike the pin 29 when the carriage is returned for a new writing-line and automatically makes the desired line-space. When the bell-crank arm comes in contact with the pin 29, it assumes a position as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2.

39 is a screw or pin for fastening the die or wedge-shaped die-block 20 on the arm 18, Fig. 9.

In my invention the line-spacing is either done automatically or by hand when the carriage is returned after reaching the end of a writing-line. The spaces can be regulated by placing the latch-block at any desired point on the rod 10, which is secured in any of the notches 11 by the latch 13, according to the width of space desired. The detent or pawl 21 is normally at a fixed angle, which is accomplished by the lug or ear 36, Figs. 7 and 8, and consequently operates only in one direction, and that being when the detent passes the teeth of the ratchet and working against the spring 22, which finally restores it to the position as shown in Fig. 1, in which case it is ready for another spacing operation. The latch-block is provided with a suitable notch, as at 40, Fig. 5, so as to enable the latch 13 to reach the teeth and hold the block in position either close to or away from the stationary pin or lug 16, which governs the stroke of the lever 10.

41 is a pin for disengaging the roller 6 from the ratchet-wheel 2 when the bar 10 is pushed toward the rear.

I am not confined to the exact details as herein set forth; but I may make such modifications as may be deemed expedient without departing from the subject matter herein claimed.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. In a line-spacing mechanism for typewriting machines, the combination comprising a platen-mounted carriage, a toothed ratchetwheel for actuating the said platen, a'hooked line-space-actuating bar or rod under the horizontal center line of the said platen, a jointed arm attached to the said bar or rod, an inclined or wedge-shaped thicker portion or clieblock on the said jointed arm, a spring-controlled notched detent or pawl on the said jointed or pivoted arm, a lug on the said carriage adapted to elevate the said arm and degular notched spring-controlled detent or pawl on the said pivoted arm, an angular lug or wedge-shaped die-block on the said arm, a lug on the carriage adapted to engage the wedgeshaped die-block and raise the said pivoted detent-arm, a spring-supported roller for engagement with the toothed ratchet-wheel, a lug or arm for disengaging the said roller from the ratchet-wheel, a lug on the line-space bar, a spring on the carriage for engagement with the said lug and adapted to hold the said linespace bar at either point of its throw, a slotted sliding latch-block, a latch for securing the said block at any point on the notched portion of the hooked line-space bar or rod, and apin or lug on the carriage for limiting the movement of the said latch-block and line-space bar or rod, as described.

3. In a line-spacing mechanism for typewriting machines, the combination comprising a platen,a toothed ratchet-wheel attached to the said platen,a laterally-movable carriage, means for retarding the revolution of the said ratchet-wheel and platen, a hooked line-spaceoperating bar under the said ratchet-wheel, a pivoted arm on the said hooked line-space-operating bar, a spring-pressed inclined detent or pawl movably pivoted on the said arm, means for elevating the said detent or pawl to engage the ratchet-wheel teeth, a detachable angular or wedge-shaped die on the said arm, a lug on the said hooked line-space bar, a spring adapted to secure the said hooked bar at its forward and backward position, a plurality of notches in the said hooked line-spacing or handle bar, a movable latch-block on the said hooked or handle bar, a spring-controlled hinged hooked latch for engaging in the said notches, and a stop or lug on the carriage for gaging the distance traveled by the said latch-block and line-space bar or rod, as described. I

4. In a linespacing mechanism for typewriting machines, the combination comprising, a carriage, a platen,a ratchet-wheel rigidly secured to the said platen, means for rotating the said platen and ratchet-wheel, a hooked handle-bar or line-spacing rod provided with a notched portion, a latch-block movable along the said handle-bar, a jointed latch for engaging the said notches in the handle rod or bar and adapted to regulate the Width of the writing-line spaces, means for releasing the said latch from the notches, a pivoted inclined arm or wedge-bar movable with the said handle or hooked line-space bar,means for elevating the said inclined arm or wedgebar, means for securing the said handle-bar at a point on the carriage for releasing the ratchet-roller, a pivoted bell-crank lever having its arms at right angles to each other one of the said arms being provided with a slot, means for securing one arm of the bell-crank on the end of the line-space or handle bar, means for supporting and pivoting the said bell-crank in the vicinity of the junction of its arms, a detachable pin or red on the frame of the machine adapted to automatically operate the line-space rod or handle-bar, and means for varying the point of contact between the said pin and the bell-crank lever, as described.

5. In a line-spacing mechanism for typewriting machines, the combination comprising, a platen, a ratchet-wheel for actuating the said platen, a movable carriage, a line-space bar or handle-rod provided with a series of notches, a movable adjustable latch and latch block, a pivoted wedge-shaped die-arm, a

spring-controlled detent, means for causing the detent on the die-arm to engage the said ratchet-wheel, a pivoted oscillating slotted right-angled bell-crank lever, means for movably securing the said bell-crank lever to the line-space bar or handle-rod, a pin secured in. the line-space bar or handle-rod engaging in the slot on one arm of the said bell-crank lcver, a pin or pivot adapted to fulcrum the said bell-crank lever, a detachable pin on the frame of the machine adapted to automatically operate the line-space bar or handlerod during the return of the carriage for the commencement of a new writing-line,- and a plurality of apertures in the frame of the machine for changing the position of the said pin and the striking-point of the bell-crank arm, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE M. KITZMILLER.

WVitnesses:

A. O. CALooTT, THOMAS HANLoN. 

